


left in the snow

by WhimsicalMercy



Series: MCYT December except it's not festive [25]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Bonding, Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, Give Carl a tag k thanks, Horseback Riding, Huddling For Warmth, Hypothermia, Mentioned Toby Smith | Tubbo, Mentioned Wilbur Soot, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Sad Backstories, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28556142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsicalMercy/pseuds/WhimsicalMercy
Summary: “The Greeks knew the score..” Tommy muttered to himself, running his hands over his uncovered arms. The wind bit into his skin, turning it a bright red he had only seen when he was sunburnt. The cold was brutal and he wondered if he should have scavenged some sort of blanket or cloth before running off. He hadn’t expected to end up somewhere so cold, so the idea hadn’t been on his mind, but he was seriously regretting not thinking so far ahead. He was usually a step ahead, usually had some sort of plan, but it seems he has been stumbling around blind for the past few weeks. “Bullshit..” He grumbled to the empty area, “More like Technoblade knew the score. Dickhead.”After running away from Logstedshire, Tommy realizes he should have heeded the warning Techno was desperately trying to give him.
Relationships: Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: MCYT December except it's not festive [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036191
Comments: 20
Kudos: 338
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	left in the snow

**Author's Note:**

> Day 27 FINISHED. The prompt was "touch starved" but this fic kind of evolved past it?? Idk. It's another sequel fic, this time to [the story of Theseus](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28006212). It takes place right after Tommy runs from Logstedshire and before he raccoons himself into Techno's house. I also talk about Carl a lot in this fic.
> 
> TW: Mild hypothermia, Techno strips both himself and Tommy down but that is not meant or implied to be sexual or incestual at all and they both get redressed. Please do not take the steps taken here as the cure for hypothermia, I tried to do research but ended up more confused than before.
> 
> All characters used in this are based purely on their fictional personas. If any of the creators decide they are not comfortable with fanworks, this work will be taken down immediately to respect their wishes. I also ask that this work is not linked anywhere or intentionally shared with any of the creators mentioned.

In all of the years that Tommy has known Techno, he has never seen someone give him an actual hug. Truthfully. Techno rarely lets people stand in his space, much less actually touch him. Even when someone accidentally brushes past him, he typically jerks away, shoulders stiff and eyes narrowed. Every time Wilbur or even Phil goes to touch him, they hover first and wait until he either pulls away or stays where he was. Most of the time, he doesn’t even allow them to touch him.

He remembers asking Phil why after the first month of living with the group. It was one of the days Techno was out hunting, keeping him out of the house until the afternoon. He had asked with a pout on his face, thinking that Techno just hated him. Instead, he got a stunned look that melted into something more serious. Phil brushed a hand through his hair and licked over his lips, taking a long time to think. “You know how you didn’t always live with us?” Phil’s voice had been gentle, even if he looked like he was in pain. Tommy didn’t like that expression on him, but he nodded. “Techno didn’t always live with us either and where he came from… Well… We don’t know a lot about it, but it wasn’t very nice. So Techno doesn’t like to be touched because he thinks every time we touch him, we’re going to hurt him.”

It seemed sad to Tommy at the time and for a while, he resolved to get Techno to trust him enough to be touched. Then he turned 12, then 13, then 14, and he hadn’t even gotten past the briefest brushes of hands or barely felt pats on his shoulder. He got over it when he hit 15 and followed Wilbur out into other lands. He was too busy traveling and fighting to think about Techno’s weird past and discomfort with touch. Even when Techno joined them in Pogtopia, he learned nothing. 

He wasn’t the only one confused, at least. Even Wilbur didn’t know what Techno did before he was found in the woods, bloodied and nearly dead. Tommy hadn’t even known that part until Wilbur told him in a fit of madness, the rant being about how they really couldn’t trust anyone, not even Techno. Tommy had argued back, had tried to defend the man who pulled him out of a mob trap he had fallen into, but Wilbur had just yelled back that not even Phil knew what had happened to Techno.

Nobody did.

And now, he doesn’t think he would ever find out.

It was so cold and all he could see was an endless expanse of frozen over dirt. It’s all he had seen for hours since he stumbled away from Logstedshire. Nothing but snow and crunching dirt. He was much further North than he expected and he was sure he was still a few thousand blocks from L’Manberg. He wasn’t welcome there either way, but L’Manberg meant _Phil_ and Phil had always kept him safe. For as much as he wanted to be an adult, he also wanted to be that kid who curled up with his dad and hid from the world. It was childish and shameful, but Tommy’s pride had been hurt enough.

He came to understand the story Techno had told him before the Withers were spawned while in exile. It had been confusing for a few days, lost in the hurt and confusion of being torn from everyone he knew and cared about(being torn away from _Tubbo_ ), but he came to the realization that maybe, _maybe_ , Techno wasn’t just telling him a story. Techno’s words were too haunting, too _emotional_. Not that many could tell, most thought of his words as condescending, but Tommy heard different. He had lived with Techno for a few years, he liked to think he knew the man he once claimed as an older brother fairly well, regardless of past.

He heard the edge in Techno’s voice, something that made the hairs on the back of his neck raise. He watched Techno’s eyes narrow and the skin around his scar pull slightly and yet he didn’t think twice about it. What a fool he was, what a silly _child_ he was. He was just as naive as everyone said he was, not heeding his big brother’s words when Techno tried so desperately to warn him in his own way.

“The Greeks knew the score..” Tommy muttered to himself, running his hands over his uncovered arms. The wind bit into his skin, turning it a bright red he had only seen when he was sunburnt. The cold was brutal and he wondered if he should have scavenged some sort of blanket or cloth before running off. He hadn’t expected to end up somewhere so cold, so the idea hadn’t been on his mind, but he was seriously regretting not thinking so far ahead. He was usually a step ahead, usually had some sort of plan, but it seems he has been stumbling around blind for the past few weeks. “Bullshit..” He grumbled to the empty area, “More like Technoblade knew the score. Dickhead.”

Rubbing his arms more, he let out a puff of air. He couldn’t seem to feel the skin beneath his fingertips, nor could he feel the sensation in his toes, but he was sure that was due to the fact that his shoes had been torn to shreds. “Who gives advice like that? Why couldn’t he just be like ‘Oi, they’re gonna backstab you, moron.’” He was talking to himself, mostly to keep the silence from overwhelming him. His teeth clacked together with each word and he pried his hands off of his arms to look at the flushed red color. He blinked a few times before forcing his hands open, curling them again slowly. He muffled a noise into his shoulder. Just a look at his hands made him realize how badly he was shaking and he swore again.

He took a few more steps, squinting into the blowing snow, and huffed. “This sucks.” That was not a whimper, he was a big man, he was not upset. The burning in his eyes was from the wind and snow getting into his eyes, not from how badly his hands and feet hurt and how tight his chest felt. Even his legs felt tense and it was worse than he had experienced in the war when it had just been his muscles being tired. He wondered if he was freezing from the inside out. “God, it’s fucking _COLD!_ ” He hollers to nobody.

“Uh, yeah. It is.”

He screams and flinches back, toppling to the cold ground and away from the voice. There are crunching steps and soft puffing along with the clinking of metal. He opens his eyes and stares up into dark eyes and a long face. He nearly screams again until he sees a familiar bridle and a golden crown resting on long, pink hair. Techno looked down on him from atop Carl’s back, leather reins clutched between his gloved hands. He wore his usual disinterested look as if him finding Tommy freezing cold in the middle of nowhere was a normal, everyday occurrence. It wouldn’t shock him if Techno predicted this too and that’s why they had found each other.

Carl snorted and leaned down to nudge his nose against Tommy’s face. Tommy flinched away from the touch and, as if understanding, Carl took a few steps back. The horse made a disgruntled noise when Techno pulled on the reins to get him to stop, shaking his head. Techno watched his horse for a second then Tommy. He frowned. “Why aren’t you wearing proper clothes?” He asked finally, adjusting how he was seated. Tommy glared in response.

“My clothes are perfectly fine, thank you very much. I don’t think I asked for your opinion.” He snapped back, teeth still chattering as he wrapped himself up. There was an unreadable expression on Techno’s face before he sighed and swung his left leg over the saddle. He dismounted with a grace that Tommy was jealous of and he watched as Techno reached up to fiddle with his cape. His face pinched in frustration before he huffed and pulled the cloth over his shoulder.

He held it out and Tommy stared at him. “You’re freezing, I’m sure you already have some sort of hypothermia. Take it.” He didn’t make an effort to force Tommy to take it nor did he move to touch him. He just waited patiently, holding out the insulated fabric. Tommy had a feeling that his cape wasn’t exactly light either, not with how thick it was and how it seemed to hang heavy off of Techno’s hands. He stared for another moment, waiting for the catch to come out of Techno’s lips. There was no way that he was just giving up his cape free of charge.

But Techno stood there, just watching and waiting even as his horse started shifting and getting impatient. He finally stumbled to his feet and grabbed the cape, slinging the fabric over his shoulder. As expected, the cape was heavy as hell and the inside was lined with something smooth and silky. Gripping the fabric tight, he pressed his face into the fluff and frowned when his shaking didn’t fully subside. Techno just looked on but Tommy swore he could see the corners of his eyes soften just barely. The older man sighed and reached over to scoop the reins off of the ground. “Come on, Tommy. Let’s get you warmed up.”

He was back in the trap, staring at cold eyes between metal bars, cuts, and scrapes all over him. Yet despite that, the pink-haired guy sighed and began pulling the trap apart carefully. _“Come on, kid. Let’s get you patched up.”_ His heart ached in his chest and he felt like that 10-year-old all over again, being saved by Techno for the first time. He nodded numbly and took another step, cringing a bit. Techno looked up and analyzed him before he clicked his tongue, Carl’s head perking up at the noise.

He brought the horse in front of Tommy and gave the soft, but stern, command of “Wait.” to the animal. Carl immediately stopped shifting and Techno purposely dropped the reins again, carefully moving over. Tommy waited for Techno to mount the horse, but blinked when Techno motioned for him to get up. “Uh, what?” He asked and Techno rolled his eyes.

“It’ll be quicker with you on Carl. We’re only about two hundred blocks away from my house.” Tommy nodded hesitantly and carefully mounted the large horse, wobbling a bit as he sat. His knees and legs ached and he only realized how tired he actually was once he was seated. It wasn’t comfortable by any means, but he wasn’t walking at least. He tightened the cape around his shoulders as Techno snagged the reins and clicked his tongue for Carl to follow. He swayed again once Carl started moving, not very familiar with horseback. 

They walked for a bit and his teeth didn’t stop their clacking. They only paused when he yawned and Techno looked up at him, a weird glint in his eye. “Hold on to the pommel.” He instructed and Tommy frowned. Techno rolled his eyes and slowly reached up to pat the front of the saddle. “The pommel.” He pointed out, bringing his hand down just as carefully. “The wind is picking up and you’re not looking any better. We need to pick up the pace.” He explained and Tommy nodded sluggishly. He missed the look of concern and almost missed the clicking noise, Carl picking up the pace with Techno jogging next to them. He yelped as he was jostled a bit violently, throwing his hand out to grip the pommel of the saddle. He bit his lip to keep from complaining, shoulders slumping a bit.

There were a few minutes of the jogging and he could hear both Techno and the horse huffing out breaths. He mumbled something about switching and was promptly ignored. Techno didn’t seem to mind and picked up the pace just slightly. He yawned again and, in the moment he had his eyes closed, they had gotten close enough to see a house through the small storm. A brief moment of shock flitted through him. It was… really domestic looking, all warm spruce and stone. A small covered stall was affixed to the side and that’s where they were led first. Techno was quick to get him down and sitting, moving through the motions of unsaddling Carl and hanging his tack up. He watched with hazy eyes, only humming in response to questions. He curled tighter on himself, stiff body protesting at the motion.

He didn’t even notice that Techno had finished, only hearing an “I’m sorry.” before he was lifted up and over Techno’s shoulder. He just gasped softly in response, only struggling briefly until he just succumbed to his fate. It wouldn’t surprise him if Techno was going to take him out here. It felt expected and, truthfully, he couldn’t bring himself to care. At least it would be at Techno’s hands; he wouldn’t suffer if Techno was the one to kill him. Techno was bloodthirsty, but he was quick with his kills. He didn’t play with his prey.

He yelped as he was put down onto a carpeted floor, the cape wrapped tighter around his shoulders. Techno moved around the room, throwing firewood into the fireplace and lighting it. He put a kettle over the fire as well, for hot chocolate, and wracked his brain for anything else to get Tommy’s body temperature up. The last time he had been in this sort of situation, it had been him freezing and Phil saving him. The memory was a haze but he remembers coming to with blankets surrounding him and Phil’s chest against his back.

He snapped his fingers, rushing up to his room for his thickest blankets. Once they were thrown downstairs, he followed. He wrapped Tommy up, placing one of the plusher ones on the carpet to act as more insulation. He puttered around for a few minutes, making them warm drinks, but realizing that making Tommy hold and drink something would probably be dangerous. The only other thing he remembered was Phil curling up around them, both of them stripped to their undergarments to make it easier to transfer heat. He stared for a moment, waiting. Tommy blinked hazily in response and Techno reached over to touch him.

Cold.

He didn’t have a choice. He yanked the laces of his boots and struggled until he threw them off. His jacket was ditched next, followed by his crown and belt. There was another stinging moment of anxiety before his shirt and pants were joining the pile of clothes. He was careful when he pulled off Tommy’s clothes, swearing at how damp they were. No wonder he was so cold. He scoured his house for towels, bringing the nicest ones he could find up and gently drying off the teenager. 

He could feel his own scars aching at the sight of the ones on Tommy and shoved himself into the nest of blankets before his self-loathing took over. He would have to face the music when Tommy became aware again. The adrenaline had worn off and now the kid was crashing and hard. He hesitated before reaching out, rubbing Tommy’s back and shoulders to try and generate more heat. It was awkward, he hadn’t touched someone in years and the last time, he didn’t remember it. The only time he could really remember being touched kindly was Sky helping him wash and brush his newly grown out hair.

He swallowed tightly, curling an arm protectively around the shivering boy. Each minute that ticked by, his anxiety grew. Soon, Tommy’s teeth stopped chattering, then his trembling lessened and his breathing became steady. It took a while, but Tommy began to blink out of his stupor, not allowed to sleep due to Techno’s worry. There was a long moment and concern bubbled in Techno’s throat.

He was worried until Tommy whispered, “Why the fuck am I naked?” and he barked out a laugh. The question was followed by another one. “Why the fuck are _you naked?_ ” A laugh spilled out of his lips before he could stop it and he dropped his head into Tommy’s hair, soaking up the contact. Surprisingly, Tommy didn’t move away, even after briefly tensing. He was as shocked as Techno was, with how liberal he was being with physical contact. Tommy protested at being laughed at, even as he snuggled into the cape still wrapped around them. His eyes caught on the yellow ribbon tied around Techno’s wrist.

Techno finally wiped over his face and took a deep breath. “You got too cold. Um, skin-to-skin contact is one of the things I know helps raise temperature…” He explained a little awkwardly. “You needed to be stabilized. We can get dressed now..” He peeled himself out of the blankets and Tommy grabbed his arm before he could get past kneeling. They made eye contact and Techno felt smothered in the sad eyes Tommy was giving him.

“Will you… come back?” Without even thinking, he nodded. 

“I’ll be a minute.” He murmured, extracting himself from Tommy’s grasp and climbing the ladders up to the top floor. He pulled out his warmest nightclothes for Tommy and then his usual pair for himself. He found a few pairs of wool socks, gifted to him by Phil, and brought those with him as well. He was quick to throw on his clothes, then helped Tommy into his. After bringing their drinks over, he let Tommy settle in between his legs again, the boy’s head against his shoulder. He wrapped them both up, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. 

“You okay?” He looked down at where Tommy was dozing, the look he was being given lidded. The blues of Tommy’s eyes were barely visible with the low lighting and half drooped lids. Affection pooled in his chest and a wave of protectiveness washed over him. He just nodded and looked up to stare into the fire. There was a brief moment and he took in a shuddering breath.

He let out a low noise before licking over his lips. “I… I sort of remember Phil warming me up when I had mild hypothermia like I’m doing with you, but it’s not clear. The last time I actually remember really being touched, um, it… It’s how I got the stab wounds on my stomach and back.” He felt a questioning gaze on him. “A trident. I was, uh, chased out of my city. I protected them and then I was the next biggest threat.” He admitted. With that out, he began talking. He spoke about his city and the Beast and his mentor giving him one last chance to run. He spoke about Phil and Wilbur finding him and how he had such paranoia at being betrayed. He mentioned that he hadn’t had a proper hug like this in years.

He looked down at Tommy once he was finished and the teenager nodded. “I get why you don’t like being touched now. Kinda hard to like it when you spend so long without it..” He murmured and Techno nodded. But they didn’t shift away. “It’s okay. We don’t gotta be touchy all the time. Thanks… for letting me do this.” They sat curled up in the nest of blankets, the fire burning a few feet away and hot chocolate mugs sitting on the floor next to them. Techno stays awake, listening to Tommy’s breathing slow. He stiffens when Tommy shifts in his sleep, relaxing when he realizes that Tommy was just pressing closer. His fingers find their way into Tommy’s hair, working through the tangles carefully until it’s smooth. It seems he’s going to be passing on the knowledge he learned years ago, though it wasn’t a sad lesson or a sad story this time. He just needed to teach Tommy how to take care of his longer hair should the teen decide to keep it.

**Author's Note:**

> We're almost done! Three more days and two days to makeup and we'll be finished!!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are really appreciated so please don't be shy!


End file.
